Opportunity #PA-13-244 University of Pennsylvania - Method Validation and Comparison for the Detection of Mycotoxins in Novel Animal Feeds and Tissues PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The PADLS New Bolton Center Toxicology Laboratory proposes to investigate the ability to adapt and validate the use of the Charm ROSA-M reader for the analysis of priority mycotoxins (aflatoxins, DON, zearalenone, T-2/HT-2, fumonisins, and ochratoxin) in complex animal feeds and pet foods and compare its use to other readily-available methods. If the Charm ROSA-M readers can be validated for the analysis of dog food, cattle feed, and swine feed, they will provide an easy method for minimally-trained personnel at multiple laboratories to quickly screen large volumes of samples in the event of a suspected animal feed contamination incident. Validation and comparison of methods for the analysis of additional mycotoxins of interest in animal feeds and pet foods (15-AcDON, penitrem A, roquefortine C, and moniliformin) will also be performed. Due to recent historical contamination events involving aflatoxins in dog food and the frequent number of investigations involving pet foods in general, we propose working with this matrix type first. Our second matrix type will be cattle feed due to the animal and human health risks that could occur due to mycotoxin contamination meant for either beef or dairy cattle, particularly the mycotoxins that can pass into milk. Based on the wide use of corn-based feeds for swine and because this species is often among those most sensitive to mycotoxins, we have selected swine feed as our third feed matrix. During the final phases of the project, methods for the analysis of selected mycotoxins will be developed and validated in tissues and biological fluids samples from dogs, cattle, and swine to best facilitate complete investigations of contaminated animal feed events, particularly for these species. After completing the validation for each analyte and matrix in our laboratory, samples will be sent out for validation to 7 other collaborating Vet-LIRN laboratories. The final products for this project will be a standardized method SOP for the analysis of priority mycotoxins in feeds using the Charm ROSA-M reader and harmonized method SOPs for the analysis of additional mycotoxins in feeds and selected mycotoxins in animal samples using LC/MS/MS. 1